Radiator air valve



March 1,1927. 1,619,386

R. T. WARRING ET AL RADIATOR m VALVE Filed Feb. 19. 1926 IN VE N T 0126 ROBERT T. WJ/F/P/NG Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

UNI E stares PATENT oFFicE. 7

ROBERT T. WARRIKG AND GEORGE W. STULTZ, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

RADIATOR AIR VALVE.

Application filed February 19, 1926. Serial No. 89,283.

This invention relates to radiator airvalves for steam heating systems.

It is the universal practice in steam heatin-g'systeins to provide each radiator with an automatic air-valve which will permit the air and vapor pressure in the radiator to be forced therefrom when the steam pressure in the sys'tem rises above the pressure of the atmosphere. WVhen'theair has been completely driven from the radiator the valve, if properly adj usted, will closeunder the action of the steam and prevent the steam from escapi ng into the room.- If the steam pressure decreases below that of the atmosphere, however, the valy'eopens and permits an inrush of air which rapidly condenses the steam, cools the radiator and fills the system with air so that it is necessary, when additional heat is required, to force out the air from the radiator anew, thereby reqniring the development of materially higher steam pressure than would beneces'sary' for supplying heat alone.

It has been proposed to provide a ball check valve" inaddition to the usual relief valve in order to prevent or restrict the admission of air into the radiator when the fire is checked or for any other reason the steam pressure decreases. To prevent the escape of such valve it' is necessary to confine it in a casing having ports eoinmunrcatlng with the rad] a tor relief" valve and with the atmosphere,

The ball valve isdesigned so that when the steam pressure rises it will force the valve from its seat and allow the air to escape.

Howeven if the steam pressure ishigh there slikelihood of the valve being carried by the: out-rushing ail-,1 against the outlet port of the casing; completely closing the same or so restricting it' as to greatly hinderthe es capeof air from thesystem. Another d-iific'ult-y inherent in the use of aiball check valve for this purpose is the limited area ofthe valve in contact with the seat and unless the ball and seat are accurately formed leakage of air intothe system may occur.

. It is not uncommon for the air relief valve and casingto become displaced from thenorm'a'l vertical position in which it isdesigned to operate and in the event of such occurrence,the ball valve may notreturn to" its vent the admission of air into the radiator);

Another obj ect is to provide an attachment which may readily be applied to air relief valves now in common use withoutalteration thereof and which will prevent or ma-' terially retard the admission of air into the radiator without hindering the escape of air therefrom under the action of the steam.

A still further object is to provide a valve of the above nature which will have a large area of contact with its seat and which will tightly close the same when made with only the usual accuracy obtained in high speed machines.

Another object is to provide animproved' air-valve attachment which is simple in con= struct'ion', reliable in; operation and which is 7 economical to manufacture. o

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds. v

In accordance with this inven'tliona check valye' is provided enclosed in a casingwhich may be attached directly to the outlet of the common types of air relief valves now in common use withoiit alteration thereof. The

valve is prefe'rably i'nthe form of a light I disk loosely mounted in the casing and normally seating on a fiat horizontal seat therein so as to close the outlet port of the thermo static relief valve. An outlet port or' vent is provided in the casing or in a cap applied 1 thereto. The construction of the. valve and casing is such that when the valve is raised from its seat and forced against the outlet port it will not obstruct the same and a free escape of air will be permitted.

By constructing the check valve in disk 975" form a seat of relatively large area is' rc vid'ed which, due to the condensation of steam and the formation of a film of water thereon,- produces a tight seal.

In orderthat the invention may be more fully understood reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a common form of automatic air relief valve showing the present invention, in section, applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a top perspective view of a pre ferred form of check valve;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the valve shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modified form of valve casing.

In Figure 1 there is shown a radiator section 1, having a common form of air valve 2 attached thereto. The construction of valve 2- is such that when the steam pressure in the system is low the valve is open and the interior o'f theradiatoris in free communication with the atmosphere. When the steam pressure rises above atmospheric prcssure the air is forced out of the radiator ahead of the steam until the steamstarts to escape at which time the thermostatic relief valve 2 closes and prevents the further escape of the steam. This construction is in common use and forms no part of the present invention.

In order to prevent the readmission of air into the system I have provided a check valve 3 which is designed to replace the cap which is ordinarily threaded at 4 to the valve 2. However, if desired. the check valve might be embodied in a unitary structure with the valve 2 at the time it is mannfactnred. The check valve 3 comprises a casing 5 threaded at 4 to the valve 2 and provided with a passage 6 communicating with the outlet port of the valve 2. The passage 6 is enlarged at itsupper end to form a chamber 7 in which a. disk 8 is retained. A can 9 provided for the casing 5 has a vent opening 10 therein. The disk 8 normally seats in the bottom 1] of the chamber 7 closing the passage 6 and preventing ingress of air to the radiator. The upper face of the disk is provided with a number of channels 13 which form passages for the air to the opening or vent 10 when the disk is held against the cap 9 by the ontflowing air.

It has been found, due to the large surface of contact between the valve clisl 8 and the seat 11 and the formation of a film of moisture therebetween, that a tight seal is obtained. However. if desired. a coating of resilient material 12, such as rubber, may be provided on the contacting face of the disk.

By virtue of the exclusion of air from the radiator by the valve 8 when the steam pressure decreases, a. partial vacuum is produced in the radiator which, due to the lowering of the pressure in the system, prevents condensation of the steam until the temperature thereof has been reduced materially below the boiling point of water at atmospheric pressure. The reduced pressure is maintained in the radiator over a considerahle period of time and when additional heat is required it is only necessary to generate a moderate steam pressure in the boiler which may be considerably below atmosphcric pressure, to cause a circulation of the steam to the radiators.

In Fig. 4 there is shown a modified form oi my invention in which the cap 9 is dispensed with and the casing 14 formed with a uniform bore threadedinternally. A. valve seat 15 is screwed into the casing, the threads of which terminate a short distance from the interior end ilGto form an abutment tor the alve seat. A. vent 17 is provided in the end 16 ot the casing and the disk valve 8 is interposed between the seat 15 and the vent 17.

It desired, instead of providing the channels 13 in the disk 8 they may be formed in the cap 9 or inthe end 16 of the casing 14 so as to provide a bypass around the valve. Obviously many other changes may be made without departingfrom the invention and I do not desire to be limited tothe exact construction shown and described.

lVhat is claimed is: i

l. A device of the class described, comprising a tubular casing adapted for attachment to aradiator valve, said casing having an intcriorly threaded portion adjacent one end thereof, the opposite end of said casing haw ing a wall with a constricted opening therein. a removable valve-seat within said casing, a valve disk loosely disposed between said valve-seat and said well, said valve-disk operating to rest upon said valve-seat to close said radiator valve against atmospheric pres sure, said valve seat having a contact surface equal inarca to at leastone-half of i the contacting surface of said valve-disk and means to permit the escape of air when said valve-disk is moved against said wall.

A device of the class described, comprising a tubular casing adapted for attachment to a radiator valve, said casing having an interiorly threaded portion adjacent one end thereof, the opposite end of said casing having a "all with a constricted opening therein, a removable valve-seat within saidcasing, a valve-disk loosely disposed between said valve-seat and said wall, said valve-disk operating to rest upon said valve-seat to closesaid radiator valve against atmospheric pressure. said valve seat having a contact surface equal. in area to at least one-half of the con tacting surface of said valve-disk, and means associated with said valve-disk to permitthe escape ofair when said valve-disk is moved against said wall. f

3. A combined radiator valvecap and auxiliary valve, comprising a tubular casing, a closure at one end of said casing having a constricted aperture, the opposite end of said casing being open, an interiorly threaded portion adjacent the said open end of said casing for attaching the auxiliary valve to a radiator valve, a valve-seat comprising a threaded member adapted to be screwed into the threaded end of said casing,'a valve-disk loosely disposed between the closed end of the casing and said valve-seat, said valve-disk operating to rest upon said valve-seat to close the valve against atmospheric pressure, said valve seat having a contact surface equal in area to at least one-half of the contacting surface of said valve-disk, and means to permit the escape of air when said valve-disk is moved against said closure.

4. A combined radiator valve cap and auxiliary valve, comprising a tubular casing, a closure at one end of said casing having a constricted aperture, the opposite end of said casing being open, an interiorly threaded portion adjacent the said open end of said casing for attaching the auxiliary valve to a radiator valve, a valve-seat comprising a threaded member adapted to be screwed into the threaded end of said casing, a valve-disk loosely disposed between the closed end of the casing and said valve-seat, said valvedisk operating to rest upon said valve-seat to close the valve against atmospheric )ressure, said valve seat having a contact sur ace equal in area to at least one-half of the contacting surface of said valve-disk, and means associated with said valve-disk to permit the escape of air when said valve-disk is moved against said closure;

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 15th day of Feb.

ROBERT'T. WARRING. GEORGE W. STULTZ. 

